Cure
by Dawn-Of-Indescribable-Colors
Summary: Padme Amidala's dearest cousin Tauna is forced into the service of the Empire as Lord Vader's medic, tasked with healing the damage he sustained in Mustafar. How can she know Lord Vader is Master Skywalker? How can she know he murdered her cousin? And how can Vader ignore eyes so like those of his lost love? EPISODES I-III COMPLIANT. VADER/OC. WARNING: SEXUAL CONTENT, VIOLENCE.
1. PREFACE

**Alright, I've been wanting to write this for a long time, and after just watching Episode III yesterday, I've been inspired. I promise to make this OC interesting and not annoying or OOC to the story! And I hope you enjoy :)**** Listen to:  
**

**Care More - The Devil Wears Prada**

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**PREFACE**

Word had spread of a new world order. A new regime. An empire.

Across the galaxy, like a rippling wave of sound, the news of what had transpired on Mustafar traveled. Details were manipulated in the telling, naturally, but the basic idea was always the same:

Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker - honored and famed - had fallen under the influence of the Sith. He'd betrayed his former master...murdered the Queen Amidala...and vanished.

The Jedis were overthrown, the majority dead, and the Emperor Palpatine - also a traitor - had taken control. Along with his apprentice, the ruthless Lord Vader, he was to hone the power of the entire galaxy, and with it, its people.

Darkness had fallen over the worlds - a shadow of despair - as they prepared to face their grim fate.

But no fate was more grave than that of the young Tauna Amidala, the late Queen's dearest cousin. Raised within a sheltered household on Naboo, she was expected to grow to be one of the finest medics of the System. But when word of this reached the ears of the Empire, Palpatine was far too intrigued, his interest sparked by the desperate need of his injured apprentice Vader.

And no sooner, at the ripe age of twenty, was Tauna free to begin her own life when she was swept away by Imperial Guards...and forced into a life of indentured servitude to Lord Vader, one of the many men responsible for the death of her cousin.

There was no escape. No protection.

Only the skill of her own two hands upon a creature so burned and deformed - and so vile - he would have a better chance of dying than ever resembling a man again.

But that was her impossible task...and she would have no choice but to fulfill it.


	2. I

**Alright, here's the first official chapter. Really hope this story has some interest, and thanks to those of you who took a risk and followed/favorited/reviewed. It means a lot! Listen to:**

**Riverbed - Over the Ocean**

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**I**

There was never any use in struggling. They hadn't needed to tell her so - she knew. Her family knew. Everyone knew.

A girl her size was no match for this Empire.

Hands stacked in the electrical cuffs, she was marched onto the lead Imperial Starship, accompanied by a parade of guards. They never met her eyes, never broke their strides, behaving more like machines than men as they delivered her to the quarters of the Emperor Palpatine.

It was a temporary set-up, she could tell. Hardly any furniture...very few luxuries. His true quarters were no doubt being lavishly constructed within the Death Star.

And yet he still sat upon a throne.

Tauna withheld a gasp at the sight of the Emperor's horrid face, shrouded beneath a dark hood. Deep lines had been etched into his cheeks, far too sudden and severe to be the wrinkles of age. But it was his eyes...his dark, flaming, evil eyes that most unsettled her.

That, and his voice.

"Good evening, my dear Lady Amidala."

Her grimace was impossible to contain. "What do you want from me?"

He pursed his thin lips, "I believed I had made that clear. Your medical expertise, of course."

"Why not a robot, then? There are plenty of Med-Bay units far more accurate than I." She struggled to keep the bite out of her tone.

"Other sources say differently, my dear, I assure you. Besides...Lord Vader has suffered enough at the hands of metals. Flesh upon flesh, I believe, will be much more suitable."

Tauna swallowed thickly, steeling her nerves. She had expected nothing better, naturally. Just one thing mattered now. "Very well. Then I have only one question."

The Emperor extended his spidery fingers, allowing it.

"Where is Anakin Skywalker?"

Palpatine sat back, seemingly intrigued by her request. "What business is it of yours?"

Tauna's bound fists clenched. "He murdered my cousin...the Queen," she ground out.

A long silence filled the chamber, the many guards unmoving as Palpatine considered her with burning eyes. Then, at last, he cleared his throat, "Master Skywalker is dead. Now go. I shall send your orders to you - as well as the many regulations you must agree to follow - within the hour."

_Dead..._

A hidden spark of murderous joy blossomed within her.

_Dead. _

_Gone._

_Never to return._

Perhaps she could survive. Perhaps she could endure her fate, so long as the chance of seeing Anakin's face had been reduced to nothing.

The guards took her from the room, leading her through yet another labyrinth of ivory airlock hallways, all completely unaware of her silent victory. Serving Lord Vader was no success of course, but the dead weight of despair had been lifted somewhat from her shoulders.

She felt she could _breathe_...felt that every waking moment would no longer be consumed by this aching desire for revenge.

"These are your quarters," one of the guards announced suddenly, tearing her away from her thoughts. "You are not to leave without strict orders, and never without an escort."

Tauna's eyes narrowed at him as she stepped over the threshold, but his only response was to seal the door with a very final sounding whoosh. Left to her own devices for the first time in days, it seemed, she explored the small, unimpressive confines of her chambers. A single bed, covered by tan sheets. A lavatory. One window into the space beyond, just large enough to see through.

And within minutes, she was already beginning to feel restless.

True to his word, not an hour had passed before Palpatine's orders arrived. These "orders" were really a series of pre-recorded messages on a portable Hologram device. Taking a seat on the bed, Tauna activated it.

Palpatine's image appeared, and with little introduction, he launched into the explanation of her duties:

"As you most likely know, Lord Vader is in critical condition. The damage sustained in Mustafar must be treated with the utmost care. His body bears crippling burns, he has lost all remaining, non-mechanical limbs, and his lungs have been severely affected. Medical units have already tended to the worst of it. They have created a sustainable life support for Lord Vader, and although, while it allows him movement and the necessary functioning, the powers of my strong apprentice have been limited. It is my intention to have that power restored. This is your task. From this day forward, you will undertake the gradual healing of Vader's burns. Mechanical limbs are currently being created for him. When they are complete, you are to connect them whilst causing as little trauma as possible. It is my wish that Vader be able to breathe - and to speak - without assistance. Cure his lungs, repair his skin, fix his body, and leave few scars. If you succeed, you will be released."

He paused then.

"As for you, personally...when you are not treating Lord Vader, you will have very little privilege. You are, in most respects, a prisoner of war, and will be treated as such. All necessities will be accommodated, of course, and good behavior does not count for nothing. You will take meals with the rest of our Guard. One of them will retrieve you from your quarters. And you must constantly be on call for any medical emergency regarding my apprentice. If Lord Vader dies, Amidala, rest assured you will join him."

And at this, the transmission ended.

Tauna took a moment to collect herself, staring into the space where the hologram has been. Of course he was serious. No man in his position had reason to bluff. But, still, an arsenal of circumstances filled her head - unavoidable situations...accidents...anything that might kill Vader which she could have no control over.

If anything was clear, it was this:

Her life no longer rested in the Emperor's hands.

It rested in Vader's.

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**Worth continuing? Let me know? Reviews are much appreciated! **


	3. II

**A very short but very important chapter. Glad to see some people enjoying this. Keep reviewing! :)**** Listen to:  
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**Slept So Long - Jay Gordon**

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**II**

The terminal seemed longer and colder than before; all the windows displayed swift, gut-wrenching views of the galaxy outside, reinforcing the knowledge that she was indeed trapped here.

Forcing herself to breathe deeply, Tauna followed the guards around the last corner. It was obvious which room they'd installed Lord Vader within. The door was forged from so thick a metal it would take more than a rocket launcher to make a dent.

"All medical supplies you might need have been provided," one of the guards said. "Should anything be missing, you need only ask."

She nodded, and with that the door's complicated lock code was entered and she was abruptly faced with the daunting task ahead of her.

She could hear him..._breathing_...

The heavy, electronic sound filled the room, even louder than the whoosh of air produced by the closing door. By the Force, how bad was it? Was it even salvageable? Even possible to restore what had once been?

What _had_ once been?

That was the true question.

What sort of a man had Lord Vader really been? Tauna had only heard pieces of his story, and those were very brief. Only mentions of his many violent conquests...

She closed her eyes, gathering another deep breath. Perhaps she would never have to know, and that was preferable.

Rounding a corner into the dark, blue-lit room, she steeled herself for the sight of him, and the shock nearly set her back a pace.

Black.

He was encased in black - a dark suit of armor, covering every inch of his body. No skin was visible. No eyes. No face. Only an ebony helmet with empty, impassive glass for sight. But it was his height that really struck her.

He stood towering in the corner of the room, staring out a window that was larger than the others she'd seen. Or, at least, she thought that was what he looked at. For all she knew, he could've been staring right at her.

Force, he must've been at least six and a half feet tall.

And one thing was absolutely clear:

There would be no trying this man. She'd had no intention to test his patience in the fist place, but now, upon seeing him, it was even more obvious that doing so would quite possibly mean her death.

"Lord Vader," she heard herself whisper, and as he slowly turned, she found herself dipping into an instinctive bow.

_How pitiful..._she thought.

"_Leave," _was the first thing he said. His voice was incredibly deep and unnaturally metallic, sending a dark shiver down her spine. "I do not need, nor desire, your services."

Astonished, Tauna forced herself to keep what meager nerve she had. "I have orders from Emperor Palpatine. I am to treat you."

His dark cloak swished as he turned fully to face her, and she took another unconscious step back.

"I have already been treated. There is nothing more to be done. Now _go."_

She swallowed thickly. "My lord...if you send me away, I will be killed."

His response was accompanied by an odd movement - almost a shrug. "Yours will not be the first blood on my hands, Medic."

Stung - and suddenly determined - by his words, she straightened her stance. "I am not just any Medic, my lord. I am Tauna Amidala, and I am the most skilled Medic known to Naboo."

She had expected some reaction, of course...but not the reaction she got.

A horrible, choking sound emitted from Vader's respirator, and before she had the chance to panic, he was rushing towards her. Powerful, gloved hands clasped around her, one at her throat and the other beneath her jaw, forcing her head up until her eyes met the cold glass of his visor.

"_No,"_ he growled. "You are _lying."_

Breathless and terrified, she could only respond with gasps. His grip was far too tight, and the fear had constricted her lungs even so.

Then, suddenly, she was released, and as she wheezed and panted, Vader stumbled back, a very different man than the one who'd stood at the window. This one was far more unstable.

"No...no, no, no..." he rumbled, turning in desperate, furious circles and then pacing back and forth. "You must be removed immediately. You must go. Leave. _Leave._ _LEAVE!"_

An echoing pound, along with the fizzle of destroyed wires, sounded as he crushed his fist upon what must've been a distress button. And not seconds later, guards were invading the room - tons of them - and she was being dragged away.

Force, what had she done wrong? What could possibly have gone so drastically _wrong?_

"Get her out of my sight!" he roared, thrusting an arm forward at a guard who must've been moving too slowly. Tauna watched in horror as they yanked her away while the guard was lifted into the air by the Force, and slowly began to asphyxiate.

"No! No! Stop!" she screamed, but she was already out of the room. "Don't kill him!"

She may never've known the fate of the guard.

She spent the night in a dark detention chamber, shackled to the wall, not so much as questioned for her wrongs. Wrongs she still couldn't hardly understand. Her tone had been respectful, even standing up for herself, and all she'd ever tried to do was follow Palpatine's orders.

But Vader's word was law, it seemed, and only the Emperor could help her now.

Or destroy her...

It would have to be one or the other.

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**In case you were wondering, things are happening quickly because I need this story to reach certain points before we can really get down into the heavy details. Still, hope you enjoyed, and please review to let me know what you thought! Cheers! :)  
**


	4. III

**Loving the support and reviews! Keep it up, wonderful people ;) Listen to:**

**Fury - Muse**

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**III**

"I had warned you of the delicacy of the situation," the Emperor hissed.

"Please - I did nothing wrong, my lord. He intended to send me away!" She hated pleading with him, but if there was a way out of the detention chamber that didn't mean death, she had to take it.

Vader, however...Force, he was so completely unhinged.

Palpatine pursed his wrinkled lips, entangling his fingers as he evaluated her. "What, precisely, did you tell Lord Vader?"

"Only my name, my lord...and that I could assist him. He told me I was lying, but about what, I swear, I don't know." She was all too conscious of the armed guards stationed beside her, somehow more threatening now than before.

Palpatine sat back in his chair, a low rumble starting in his throat. Those awful lips spread into a thin line. "My apprentice has endured much. It is expected that he should present some resistance..."

"I could do nothing, my lord. I was removed from his chambers almost at once - by force," she felt the need to add.

Another low, rumbling sound. His head turned eerily slow to face one of the guards. "See to it that the distress-com is removed from Lord Vader's chambers."

"My lord, he has already destroyed it."

"Remove it anyway. My apprentice is quite skilled with robotics. He would find a way to mend it." Then he turned back to her. "There. Now you cannot be removed. Try again."

Tauna suppressed a small sound of distress, "He will _kill _me, my lord."

Without missing a beat, he replied, "If you value freedom enough, you will find a way to comply. I am certain of it."

She was escorted out after that, without a chance to ask what in the galaxy she was expected to do to make Vader change his mind. Only, they didn't escort her back to her chambers. They escorted her straight to Vader's door.

A guard was currently beating a swift escape from the room with the remains of Vader's distress-com, and Tauna heard a loud crash resonate from the darkness inside.

"Go," one of her escorts commanded, hand massaging his holster for emphasis. And when she hesitated a moment too long, he shoved her over the threshold quite roughly.

That _damnable_ sound.

The swoosh of air that meant the closing of the door...that meant being trapped with Vader for as long as it took to get through to him...

Or as long as it took for him to murder her.

She was beginning to_ hate_ that sound.

"Do not bother," came that dark, haunting voice, husked with anger and yet still every bit an artificial noise. "Leave. The door will open."

Tauna drew in a deep breath. "You underestimate your master. He has locked me in...for as long as it takes."

A long silence. Vader's respirator wheezed.

"Then you will waste away in here," he said. "Just as I will."

She accepted this as a healthy sign - the fact that she was not currently dangling by her throat from the Force - and edged a little further into the room. He was visible now. An ebony shape in the corner.

"I do not understand," she said at last, just as timidly as she thought she'd sound. "Why do you refuse my aid?"

His respirator hitched again. "Because you are the _enemy,"_ he growled. "And I despise every last one of you."

Tauna forced herself to sound strong and calm. "That is all? Only hatred? Surely, a conquerer such as yourself would use such an emotion as an ally."

There was a sharp hiss, and before she could blink, he'd risen and swept over to her, the prickle of the Force gliding over her skin like a warning. _"Do not test me, woman," _he rasped, and his sheer enormity took her breath away.

Looming over her, his harsh breaths blasted out against her face, scent tainted by some kind of chemical. She shuddered - visibly, to her chagrin - and struggled not to take a step back.

"Please. I will be no trouble if you allow me to help."

The Force prickled more dangerously when she took a step towards him instead, snatching up his hand before she could think better of it and evaluating it with as much medical professionalism as she could muster in her state.

Vader's mask made a sharp sound.

He tried to yank the hand away - gently, she warranted - but she gripped more tightly, beginning to tug upon the leather glove that covered what was obviously metal. Force, where had she stolen such courage?

"Stop!" he demanded, yanking harder and tearing it away.

"I am here to _cure_ you, not challenge you," she shot back, surprised yet again by her nerve.

Vader growled in her face, leaning down to present a far more threatening image...and then suddenly jackknifed upright and spun around, beginning once again that odd, furious pacing.

And she felt she might be able to push it that one inch further...

"Stop fussing," she said, still careful of her intonation, "and let me heal you."

Vader went still, his back to her, shoulders rising and falling in a slowing rhythm as he began to calm. His mask turned halfway, facing her in profile, and after a long while, he told her, "Then I have one condition."

She nearly sighed with relief. "Yes?"

"...Never look me in the eyes."

That wouldn't be a problem - at least until she had to work on his face - though the confusion still pried at her brain. "Understood."

It was still several minutes before Vader moved again, this time towards a flat, black bed that made her wonder whether it was any comfort at all. He took a seat on the edge, still somehow maintaining a posture that was threatening to her, and waited.

Tauna rushed to retrieve the medical tray they'd provided, amazed Vader hadn't eviscerated it in his anger. Perhaps he hadn't known it was there...

Setting the tray gingerly beside him on the bed, she made herself gather another deep breath before reaching for his hand again. This time, he did not yank away.

"Do you know what sort of robotics this is?" she asked quietly, eyes widening at the sight of his metallic hand. It was horribly made - crafted from some kind of scrap iron.

"It is not robotics at all," was his gruff reply. "Merely a mannequin."

She furrowed her brow, struggling to keep her eyes down. "I don't understand."

"It does not function. Only looks like it should."

And for the first time she noticed the limpness of it. No wonder his yanking had not produced much strength...

"But..." she remembered the way he'd attacked that guard. His hand had been clenched and functioning... "your other-"

"That is another story," he rasped, thrusting his other hand at her. And, indeed, it performed like an ordinary limb. Tauna felt her eyes widen again, this time in awe as she discovered the expert craftsmanship - such a great contrast - of his right, robotic arm.

"I don't understand..." she repeated.

He huffed, seemingly in anger or annoyance. "I lost it long before."

"And who crafted this?" she asked timidly, watching the beautiful piece clench and unclench in her hands.

"I did."

Tauna swallowed her surprise, hiding it well. "I see." She was still extremely impressed. "Perhaps, if you show me how, I can create another for you."

He huffed again, snatching the arm away. "Let the Empire send me their spare parts. I care not."

Tauna repressed a sigh.

This would take a long while. A very long while, indeed.

_Day one, then._

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